Wounded: A KOTOR2 Fan Fiction
by h.elizabeth3
Summary: Zanna Hal, exiled from the Jedi Order, struggles to stay on the path of the Light as she seeks to repair the wound inflicted upon the galaxy as she fights for her life- and sanity.
1. Chapter 1: Alterations

**CHAPTER 1: ALTERATIONS**

"Would you stop your pacing? It ain't helping anything." Atton Rand had momentarily stopped drawing in the Korribani sand with his finger to look at the Disciple, Mical. He was pacing back and forth with a concerned look on his face. "You remind me of a gizka I once saw on Tatooine," Atton laughed. "It was just hopping around, looking so confused, and-"

"How could you possibly be joking in a moment such as this?!" Mical said, suddenly stopping his pacing to give Atton an angry glare. "We should have gone in with her..." He continued, "Who knows what horrors she's facing." Mical looked down at the smuggler with a concerned look. "Do you- do you think she's all right?"

"Look, blondie," Atton said sternly, "if you don't think I'm worried about her you're out of your damn mind. In case you've forgotten, _I've_ been with her since the beginning. _I'm_ one who helped her get off Peragus. And, don't forget," he said, pointing at Mical, " _We're_ the ones who let you tag along when we happened to run into you on Dantooine."

"That doesn't matter right-"

"BUT to answer your question," Atton said, paying no attention to what the Disciple had to say, "yes, I do think she's all right. She's one hell of a fighter. If anything, we would have slowed her down." He laughed. "A couple of new Jedi wouldn't be much help to one of her experience, right?"

Mical nodded slowly, yet still unconvinced. "I suppose. Even so, she has been in there for quite some time."

"Yeah, and _even so_ ," he said mockingly, "she explicitly told us she had to go in and face whatever the hell's in there by herself."

"Didn't Kreia tell her that?"

Atton paused, thinking. "Maybe," he said, continuing to draw in the sand. "I don't get their magical link or whatever."

"Nor I. Perhaps..." Mical trailed off with his thoughts.

"Perhaps what?"

"Well, do you particularly trust Kreia?" Mical asked hesitantly.

"Oh, hell no!" Atton responded, laughing out loud. "I mean, have you met her?"

The Disciple looked confused. "Of course I have; I've aided you on this journey for quite some time."

"Would you lighten up, for one pfassking second?" Atton stared at the soldier. "It was _a joke. Sarcasm_. You know what that is?"

"Now look," Mical said, getting closer to Atton, "this is no time for-" He suddenly paused, diverting his attention elsewhere. "Wait, do you hear that?"

Atton stood up and walked closer to the mouth of the cave, listening for whatever Mical had thought he heard. "Footsteps," he breathed. "Coming this way. Sounds like running..."

"Draw your weapon," Mical whispered, igniting his blue lightsaber. "Just in case."

The sound of footsteps grew louder.

"Get ready." Mical whispered sternly.

Atton hesitantly reached for the hilt his lightsaber, prepared for an enemy. Finally, the sound was close enough to where they would see whoever was running... they just had to come around the bend of the cave...

"ZANNA!" Atton exclaimed, running to meet his companion, as Mical turned off his lightsaber and ran to greet her as well.

Zanna Hal was undoubtedly out of breath. She slowed to a walk once she saw her friends, wiping the beads of sweat off of her forehead and immediately closing her eyes. Atton embraced her tightly as Mical joined them. The young Jedi was gasping for air in Atton's arms, her eyes still shut tight.

"What's wrong?" Mical asked. "Are you alright?"

Atton grabbed her by the shoulders and looked at Zanna's face, looking stunned. "Z, you okay?"

Zanna shook her head, starting to cry. "I... It... Was so..." she stammered through her sobs, "I can't..."

Mical came closer to the two, obviously worried. "Zanna, what is it? Are you alright?"

Zanna's breathing became quick, and Atton felt her begin to shake. "Hal!" He yelled, her tiny figure trembling in his grip, "What's wrong?"

She felt herself losing her strength, sliding involuntarily onto her knees. Atton, still holding her, went down with her. "Z, you're scaring me," he said, the worry evident in his voice.

Mical immediately knelt down and put the back of his hand onto her forehead. "Her temperature is extremely high," he whispered.

Zanna suddenly began to see specks of white flickering against the black of her vision, eyes still closed. Her breathing began to slow, yet she knew she was slipping. "H-Help..." she whispered.

Atton cupped the side of her face with his hand. "Dammit, Hal, stay with me! We can't do this without you!"

"Zanna, just breathe. Just breathe. Focus." Mical ordered.

She slowly opened her eyes to look at the two, her breathing becoming heavier. "P-please," she begged. She caught a glimpse of Atton looking into her eyes, and then suddenly, all was black.

Zanna awoke, feeling extremely cold. _Where the hell am I?_

She flickered her eyes open, lying on her side and slightly shivering. Metal walls surrounded her, with a familiar looking footlocker on the floor. _I'm back on the Ebon Hawk..._ she realized, sitting up in her bed. She looked around at her quarters on the ship, feeling confused. _Wait... I was on Korriban... What happened?_

She put her hand to her head, which was throbbing with pain. "Force," she mumbled to herself, "I need a medpack..." She got up from her bed and walked to the footlocker, unlocking it. _Some robes, armor..._ "Ah hah! Medpack." She took the medpack and used it, instantly easing the pain from her head. She looked down at herself and discovered she was still wearing the Padawan robes from Dantooine. _Gross,_ she thought to herself, and rummaged through the footlocker to find some clothes, which she did.

She made her way to the refresher, both eager to change into some clean clothes, while also nervous as to what she might look like. She wasn't sure how long she had been unconscious, but she was certain she had been running around and sweating.

Entering the refresher, Zanna set the clothes down to look into the mirror. "Oh my gods!" She screamed. Paying no attention to her messy hair (which was still somewhat in a braid, yet there were strands loose everywhere, some sticking to her face from previous sweat), she was stunned to see a near completely different person. Her skin was pale, yet it had a lavender tone to it, and her eyes, once blue, had become a piercing yellow. She stared, repulsed at herself, and stumbled backwards, falling over and onto her back in shock.

Footsteps soon were heard outside the refresher door, and three quick knocks followed. "Zan, you in there?"

"Yeah," she said, sitting up , "Yeah, Mira, I'm in here."

"Can I come in?"

"I guess."

The door opened and Mira walked in. Her short red hair had been slicked back, and she wasn't wearing her usual headband. The bounty hunter knelt down besides the Jedi, who was now sitting against the toilet, and stared at her.

After a few seconds of silence, Zanna broke it. "Can I help you?"

"No." Mira replied, sighing. "I actually came here to see if you needed anything."

"Maybe some answers," Zanna said sharply. "How long have I looked like this?"

"Since puberty, I imagine," Mira said sarcastically.

Zanna stared at her. "Wow, that helps. Thank you so much."

"Geez, sorry for trying to lighten the mood." Mira said, defensively. "But as for the eyes? It started since you came back to the Hawk from Korriban, which was three days ago." Mira said. "Atton and Mical said you came out, looking like this, and then swiftly passed out. They carried you from the hellish cave you came out from through the rest of the shyrack caves, through the Valley of the Dark Lords and back to the Hawk." Zanna remained quiet. "Look, it's not that bad." Mira smiled. "In fact, it makes you look pretty badass. And I doubt that both of those guys won't still be protective kath hounds for you." She snickered. "In fact, they haven't stopped talking about you this whole time."

Zanna stared at her, confused. "What, since I passed out?"

Mira laughed. "No, not at all. I mean, this actual whole time."

"What?"

"Oh, c'mon. Don't tell me you haven't noticed it. Those guys practically worship you."

Zanna sat there in silence, a puzzled expression on her face. Suddenly she shook her head. "That's not important right now. Look, not that I don't enjoy your company, but would it be okay if I had a sec to change and get myself together?"

Mira smiled, standing up. "Sure thing, Jedi. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks." Zanna continued to sit on the floor. _So I was really on Korriban. All those things in the cave... They happened..._

She shivered, then stood up. _Let's just get cleaned up first, Hal..._ She decided to take care of the sweat and the tangled hair by a quick hop in the shower. She put on the flowy white tunic and brown pants she grabbed from the footlocker and brushed out her matted hair, looking into the mirror. _Force, I am a mess_. She continued staring at herself. _How the hells did I get this way?_ She leaned in closer, her face inches away from her reflection, to braid her (now brushed) black hair. As she did so, her trip to Korriban and the shyrack caves came into her mind.

 _"Well, this doesn't look like it could be bad."  
"Yeah, looks absolutely peachy."  
Zanna and Atton had arrived at the mouth of a strange looking cave, at the request of Kreia.  
Atton groaned. "That old witch better know what she's talking about..." He told her.  
Suddenly Mical came into sight, exiting the left mouth of the main shyrack caves.  
Zanna yelled out to him, "What took you so long?"  
"I was told to go to the left when we arrived," he called back.  
"You told him to go left?!" Zanna asked Atton angrily, who was holding back laughter. "I told _YOU _to tell_ HIM _we were going right!"  
"Hey, it 'left him an opening'," he replied, mocking the Disciple's oft quoted phrase.  
"He had to fight off all those shyrack and those other Tuk'ata by HIMSELF?!"  
"Hey," Atton said with a smirk, "He's a soldier-turned-Jedi, it looks like he did fine."  
"Asshole!" Zanna muttered as Mical came up to them.  
The three turned back toward the foreign looking cave.  
"The valley we just came from was filled with dark energy, but this cave is darker still," Mical mused as he regained his breath.  
"Yeah, you can _**_see_** _it. Look." Atton pointed on the ground, where a rich purple color tainted the sand.  
"Well it's a good thing we're all force-sensitive or you wouldn't be able to," She told them.  
'Zanna!' came a familiar voice. 'Listen to me.'  
Zanna exhaled and closed her eyes, focusing on her mind, where her mentor Kreia was reaching out to her.  
'Yes, what is it?' She responded telepathically._

 _'The power I felt coming through the cave is just ahead.'  
Yeah, I figured,' Zanna responded.  
I believe you are strong enough to explore the tomb ahead.'  
'Wait, this is a tomb? What else are you not telling me?'  
'There is great power and dark energy within this cave..." Kreia stated..  
Zanna exhaled in annoyance. 'Yeah, I figured that much out myself.'_

 _'_ _There's something else.'  
"What is it now, woman?'  
'You will have to face the challenges of this tomb alone. I will not guide you, nor will your... _friends _... be able to aide you as go forward. Do you understand?'  
"What?!" Zanna cried, audibly.  
"What is it?" Mical asked her.  
She turned to face them. "I've... just been informed I need to go forward- alone."  
"That's ludicrous!" The Disciple exclaimed. "We will not stand idle." His stance shifted, soldier's instincts kicking in.  
"Hate to agree with blondie, but he's right, Z." Atton said. "We're not gonna just sit here."  
"I have to."  
"Says who?" Atton sneered. "That schutta of a woman? I don't think so."  
'_ ** _FOOLS!_** _' Kreia bellowed within Zanna's mind. 'If you do not enter alone, you will most certainly regret it.'  
"Guys," Zanna finally said, "I appreciate your help, but I have to do this alone."  
"But-" Both men said in unison.  
"No 'but's." She quickly looked at both of them, then ignited both of her silver lightsabers. "I'll be back." She turned and faced the entrance of the tomb, taking a step forward into the purple energy. Immediately, she could feel her anger boiling up inside her, as well as the power the energy presented. "Focus Hal..." she told herself, "You can do this." She looked back at her friends, who were looking nervous. She turned her attention forward and walked towards whatever Kreia knew was lurking beyond._

After one final look in the mirror, Zanna opened the door of the refresher and immediately ran into someone. "Dammit, Atton!" she cried, hand on her chest. "You scared me half to death."

"Well it's good it was just half, because we still need you for the rest of this trip." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, be quiet," She muttered, pushing her way past him.

He looked at her as she made her way back to her quarters. "Yeah, good to see you, too!" He cried out to her sarcastically. "Oh, it was my pleasure saving you! No need to thank me".

She turned back to him, a smile on her face, and bowed. "Thank you, Atton." She gave him a sincere smile before going back into her quarters.

Atton leaned against the door frame of the refresher, a crooked smile emerging on his face.

"BOOP-BEEP-DOP!"

"Pfassk!" Atton jumped, turning to see T3 standing behind him.

"BEEP-DWOOP-DEEP!" The droid snickered.

"Yeah, haha, very funny." Atton mumbled as he entered the refresher. "Trash compactor." He made his way to the refresher, eager to rinse his face off- being a scoundrel required minimum hygiene; washing one's scruffy face was the bare minimum, which he had acquiesced to doing every day at the request of Zanna. He had barely finished washing his face in the sink when the door flung open. "Geez!" He exclaimed, dabbing his scruffy face with a nearby towel. He saw Mira, arms crossed, and looking sour. "How unlucky of you," he said with a smirk on his face. "One minute earlier and you would've been here to see the-"

"Save it." Mira snapped, hand up as a gesture to stop. "I honestly do not care. About that, anyway." She turned around and swiftly shut the door again.

"Uh, look, Red," Atton said, flushed, "I get it. Like most women I encounter, you're drawn to me."

" _Excuse me?"_

"And I'm flattered." He shrugged, still smirking. "However, I'm just not into red-heads."

"Oh, get over yourself, you _ass._ " Mira hissed, hands on her hips. "I'm here to talk to you about the Exile."

Atton glared at her, confused. "Are we still calling her 'The Exile'? I thought we were over this after Nar Shaddaa."

"Okay, then let's call her what everyone in the galaxy is calling her- The Bounty."

He laughed. "Red, just because you were hunting her doesn't mean-"

"You know damn well Goto isn't the only one who was eager to send masses of bounty hunters out to get her." She glowered at him. "And you better thank the Force that I was the one who found you all first."

"Could you just get to the point?"

Mira huffed. "The point, you _nerfherder_ , is that you and the Disciple haven't let her be alone for two seconds this whole time. **_And_** -" she added, seeing how Atton was about to make an excuse, "I'm not just talking about since he came aboard the last stop. I'm talking about you. Ever since I came aboard, you've been watching her like a kath hound."

"Can you blame me?!" Atton replied defensively. "Like you said so yourself, Red, she's probably got masses of other bounty hunters after her- not to mention the Sith assassins we've already faced on Peragus AND being attacked on Telos AND those damn mercenaries on its restoration zone." They looked at each other in silence, yet the air was filled with tension. He took a step closer towards the bounty hunter, and with a quieter voice, said, "So you bet your little lady ass I'm worried something's gonna happen to her. Especially with that creepy old woman lurking around."

Mira, unafraid of the man towering over her, took a step closer to him. "I'm not here to pick a fight, Rand. All I'm saying is both you and Mical need to cool it." She looked down and mumbled, "Especially since Korriban."

Atton groaned. "Fine. Fine." He stepped aside towards the refresher door. With one final smug look, he added, "I'm still not convinced you don't want this though," gesturing to himself.

"Oh my god. Stop it." She laughed.

"Just trying to lighten the mood, Red!" He called, his voice trailing off.

Zanna sat on her bed, resting her head against the wall behind her. She kept bringing her arms up into her view to check if they were still a ghastly pale color- they were.

Hearing three quick knocks on the door of her quarters, she called out, "Come in!"

The long, slim figure of Visas Marr opened the door so it was slightly ajar. "May I enter?" She asked calmly.

Zanna smiled. "Of course, Visas." As her friend shut the door behind her, she explained, "You know, you don't have to ask for my permission on everything."

"It is... difficult for me, I have not had such kindness shown to me for a long time." Visas' calm voice held a note of sadness. "But thank you, Exile."

"And also, you can call me Zanna."

"Of course."

Zanna stared at Visas, whose eyes were covered by a magenta-toned headdress she always wore. Zanna knew that she was a Miraluka, a race from the destroyed planet of Katarr. The only way she had been allowed to see was through her force sensitivity, which had been how she was able to find Zanna and her companions while on Nar Shaddaa. She was led to believe, however, that Visas wasn't completely blind- at least in a physical sense. "Is everything alright, Visas?"

"Sort of," she replied, sitting down on the bed besides Zanna. "I have felt a change in the force. A change within you."

"Well, I guess I changed a little bit... I mean I look completely different."

Visas looked alarmed. "Different how?"

"My skin, for starters- I look like an albino kath hound," She explained, trying not to sound too sad about it. "And then my eyes..."

"What about them?"

"Well, they're sort of yellow now. I don't know what-"

"Do you realize what this means? What has happened?"

"What- No? I-"

"Zanna, this is the change I mentioned. Acts influenced by the dark side can corrupt your very appearance. The strange thing..." She trailed off.

"What's the strange thing?!" Zanna cried.

Visas looked like she didn't want to talk. Yet she did. "The strange thing is that, usually, such extreme changes in one's physical appearance only occurs after an extremely powerful and dark deed."

Zanna face drained to an even paler white.

Visas faced her companion. "Zanna, what exactly did you experience within that cave?"

"I..I..." Zanna's breathing began to become rapid once again. She quickly stood up. "I have to go." Running out of the room (nearly knocking over T3-M4 in the process: "DEE-DWOOOOP!" he shouted angrily), tears began to flow down her face as she made her way to the exit ramp of the Ebon Hawk. She repeatedly pressed the button to let down the ramp, as if pressing it over and over again would make it go faster. _Come on... Come on..._

"Zan?" Said a voice from behind her.

"Oh GODS!" She jumped in surprise at the voice, wheeling around to see Atton.

"Why're you leaving?" He asked slowly.

Tears still flowing, she merely shook her head.

"Don't do that. Come on, let's go back to your room."

"V...Visas..." She choked.

"She left. I saw her leave when I came outta the cockpit." He said calmly.

"What's going on?" Bao-Dur had appeared from the workshop, where he usually worked all day. "General! It's good to see you up and well again," he said, spotting Zanna. Bao-Dur and Zanna Hal had both served together during the Mandalorian Wars a few years back. While he was just a tech and she a general, their paths had crossed once again while she, Atton, and Kreia had crash-landed into Telos' restoration zone three weeks prior. The Iridonian/Zabrak alien had helped them escape during that time, and had been with the three the longest.

Regaining composure, Zanna inhaled. "Good to see you too, Bao-Dur."

Atton patted her on the back. "Why don't you go back to your quarters? I'll meet up with you in a second."

She nodded, then walked toward the main hold and entered her quarters. Atton craned his neck to make sure that the door was sealed. "Can I get your opinion on something?" He asked the Iridonian in a hushed tone.

Bao-Dur groaned. "I'm a little busy here. What is it?"

"It won't take more than a minute," Atton assured him.

"All right," Bao-Dur replied, walking back into the garage, "I'll work while you talk."

Atton rubbed his hands together nervously. "Look, your friend, the Jedi- you know her from way back, don't you? How much do you know about her, really?"

Bao-Dur looked up from the workbench he was using. "Zanna? The General? Yeah, during the war, if that's what you mean by way back. Can't say I know too much about her though." He returned his attention to the workbench.

"Better than anyone else on this ship." Atton laughed. "Just... give me your opinion, okay?" And, pointing a finger at his companion, added, "And don't laugh."

"I'm trying to work here, Atton." Bao-Dur mumbled, focused on his repairs.

"I was just wondering if you thought... maybe... she and I might..." He trailed off, still rubbing his hands together in a nervous fit.

Bao-Dur stopped his repairs and looked back at Atton. "You're being serious."

Atton pointed at him again. "You said you wouldn't laugh." He said defensively.

"You _are_ being serious," Bao-Dur said in disbelief. Laughing, he continued. "Atton, she was a _general_ , I was just a _tech_. Your guess is about as good as mine."

"Well, what's your guess then?"

"I'm getting back to work." Bao-Dur mumbled, shaking his head.

"Hey! I'm being serious here."

Atton hadn't noticed that T3-M4 had made his way once again behind him. A hint of mockery within his whistles and beeps, he exclaimed, "BEEP-BEREEEEEP DEEP!"

" _You're laughing at me?_ " Atton cried in disbelief. "I'll put you on the scrap heap, you rolling tin can!" As he walked away, he could hear Bao-Dur chuckling in the garage.


	2. Chapter 2: Pure Pazaak

**CHAPTER 2: PURE PAZAAK**

Zanna once again sat on her bed, her head resting against the wall, just as she had before Visas came in. Only this time, tears were silently streaming down her cheeks. Her crying had slowed down, although her cheeks were still wet. She had been sitting for a few minutes waiting for Atton, who had promised to meet up with her.

She exhaled deeply, thinking back to what Visas had told her earlier. Her thoughts were interrupted by Atton knocking on the doorframe. "You okay?" He asked.

"Sort of."

He walked towards the bunk and sat beside her. "What happened? I thought you were... you know, doing okay since you came to."

She shrugged. "I was. But... Visas told me something."

Atton raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What was it?"

"Well, obviously I look different-"

"Do you? I hadn't even noticed."

"Atton, this is serious," she told him sternly.

He raised his hands defensively. "Okay, okay, sorry. You know I can't help it."

"Well try."

"I can't promise anything, Zan." He tilted his head and looked at her more seriously. "What did she tell you?"

Zanna closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, whispering, "That... _this... this thing..._ only happens after a particularly heinous -and powerful- dark act."

"Oh..." Atton trailed off. For once, the smart mouthed scoundrel had nothing to say.

They sat in silence for a minute or two, and Atton could sense her pain.

"Zan... what... happened in there?" he asked her, his voice barely a whisper.

She only shook her head, the tears beginning to flow more heavily again. "I can't. I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

She opened her eyes, her cutting yellow eyes, and looked directly at him. "You'd hate me."

He chuckled. "Hal, c'mon," he said. "You've gotten me imprisoned, chased by Sith, in a battle on Dantooine-" He was counting the experiences on his fingers now. "Oh, and let's not forget that because of you I blew up a planet, fought countless bounty hunters to save you, not to mention all the assassin droids, and having to deal with basically everyone on board." He smiled at her. "If I haven't hated you yet, there isn't anything that could make me actually hate you."

She smiled back at him. "I've gotten you into quite a mess, haven't I?"

"Oh, absolutely." He said without any hesitation. He nudged her. "But, it's been one hell of an adventure. And I'm with you to the end of this. I've been by your side since we met on Peragus, and I'll stay there for as long as you need me."

 _"Nice outfit!" The man in the force cage glared at her as she walked in. "What, you miners change regulation uniforms since I've been in here?"  
Zanna Hal groaned. Not only was she not expecting anyone else on this mining planet, but she also did not expect to still be clothed in what she awoke in. Only minutes previous, she had regained consciousness after being in a kolto tank for Force knows how long. Since she obviously was being medically treated, she had on a brown, sleeveless and legless one-piece… Her underwear. She hadn't been lucky enough to find any other clothing on her search to find a ship. "I'd keep those eyes up, and tell me who you are." She ordered, in front of the cage that held the man prisoner. He was scruffy-looking, with a ribbed jacket and short, messy brown hair.  
"Atton." He told her. "Atton Rand. Excuse me if I don't shake hands- the field only causes minor electrical burns."  
She glared at him. "You're quite the funny guy, aren't you?"  
He shrugged. "It has it's cons."  
"Care to explain why you're locked up?" She inquired.  
"Security claimed I violated some trumped-up regulation or another." He folded his arms. "Take it up with them if you want, but they stopped listening to me shortly before they stopped feeding me. Now _THAT'S _criminal."  
"I can't take it up with anyone." She said, beginning to lose patience.  
"Why's-"  
"The facility's deserted. Why?"  
He shrugged. "You mean before or after the Jedi showed up? Either way, it's a short story."  
Zanna silently panicked. 'Oh my god...' She thought to herself. 'Am I the reason everyone on this planet is dead?'  
Atton continued. "You see, this Jedi shows up, and you know what that means- when there's one Jedi, the Republic will soon be crawling up your ion engine in no time.  
"But the story gets better," He continued on sarcastically. "See, some of the miners got it into their ferrocrete skulls that since the Jedi's unconscious, _they _can collect the bounty the Exchange has posted for live Jedi. Well, what passes for the law here didn't like that, so two groups started fighting. Then there was some big explosion, I was sitting here for a long time, then you showed up in your underwear and things got a lot better."  
Zanna scowled. "Stop being an ass and answer my questions."  
"Look," Atton said, seeming to get restless, "Not that your half-naked interrogation isn't a personal fantasy of mine, but-" He trailed off, staring at the woman in front of him.  
"What, did your brain stop working?"  
"You're the Jedi the miners were talking about, aren't you?"  
She hesitated. 'If there's a bounty on the Jedi, he probably wants to cash in on it... but he seems harmless.' Plus, she figured, he was still in a cage. "Yes. Yes, I am."  
"Damn," He said, clearly impressed. "But, where is everybody?"  
"Don't-" Zanna started to say, confused. "Don't you know what happened to them?"  
"What, from my glorious view inside this cell? Yeah, no." He paused. "Look- hey, let me out, and I can help you. Serious. This facility isn't a military installation, which means we may have a chance."  
"What are you implying?"  
"You shut down this cell's security field, and I can re-route the emergency systems so we can get to the hangar. We grab a ship, and we fly out of here."  
She stared at him, and used the force to see if he was lying. Shocked, she sensed he was telling the truth. Vibrosword in hand, she agreed. "All right. Fine. I'll let you out."  
"Excellent!" Atton cried.  
"_ **But** _-" she added with a stern expression, "If you try and run, I'll cut you down without a second thought."  
"Deal." He agreed.  
Zanna moved to the right of the cell where the security switches were, and quickly shut down the force field surrounding Atton. He slowly stepped forward.  
"Alright, that's more like it. Now follow me!" He began to make his way out of the prison and towards the central control station.  
Zanna rolled her eyes. 'This one is going to be the death of me…'_

"So... what exactly did you do, Zan?"

She looked at him, still silently crying. "Can you close the door?" She whispered. "I don't want the others to hear."

"Of course." He quickly got up and pulled the door to her quarters shut before returning to her side.

She exhaled deeply. "I don't know how..." She staggered in her breathing. "I don't know how, but-" She struggled, trying to think of the words to say. "I... I re-lived all the critical moments of the War."

Atton's expression shifted to a more concerned one. "And what were those?"

"Being recruited... By Alek." Seeing the somewhat confused look on her friend's face, she added, "Later Malak. As in, Lord Malak. Sith Lord." She paused. "You know him?" She asked sarcastically.

Atton laughed. "I thought we were being serious."

"I had an opening to mock your cluelessness. I couldn't pass that up."

"Fine," he chuckled. "So you were recruited by Malak himself?"

"Yeah." She said sadly. "I was the first one to willingly join. I stood there, with five or six others. And I went without a second thought."

"You were just doing what you thought was right, Hal. You can't change the past."

She started crying harder. "But I did it again."

Atton was puzzled. "What-?"

"I walked right into the position I stood in years ago. It's like the cave knew exactly what was in my head- especially my regrets. The situation was exactly the same. It's like I was back in time..." She put her hand in a fist and rested it on her forehead, obviously distraught. "And I did the exact same thing."

"Well-"

"Even after I knew all the horrors that it brought, all the losses that came with it, even though it's what brought upon my exile... I still went."

Atton was silent.

After a few moments of tears and sniffles, she continued. "The other people faded away after I made my choice. Then came the next room. It was my worst call I made as General."

"What happened?" Atton whispered.

"It was my first battle as a leader for the Republic; on Dxun. I didn't explicitly follow my orders… because of it, my troops went straight through a minefield to fight off the Mandalorians. There were so many losses..." She trailed off, reflecting on the memory. "They begged me not to. They begged. But I just _had_ to go and do my own thing anyway. And once again, I made the same call."

Atton scratched his head. "Zan..."

She just shook her head. "That's not the worst of it though." She looked at him sadly. "Not the worst."

Atton hung his head in silence, waiting for her to tell him.

"It was Kreia... she looked... so dark. She greeted me, praising me for making it that far." She paused. "Then you showed up."

Atton snapped his head up. "What?!"

She nodded. "Yeah. You told me to get away from her because she was a dark Jedi. You two bantered for a bit as usual, and then, one by one, all of the other came in as well. They were all saying how she needed to be killed."

Atton stared at her in disbelief.

"And then," she sighed, "I was given a choice. By Kreia herself: listen to all of you and murder her, or go on without any of you and remain her student." She hung her head and wept.

Atton sat, still confused. Then, it hit him. "No." He sighed. "Zanna, you did, didn't you?"

"I killed her. It was _so easy_ , too. Just two quick swipes of the sabers and she was down."

Atton slid closer to her on the bed, and put an arm around her.

"The most disturbing part for me, though, was that as soon as I turned around from... from what I did, you all looked different."

"How so?"

She looked up into his eyes. "Like the dark side had corrupted you- Like it's done to me."

"Why do you think that happened?"

"I think it's because I'm so close to all of you. I'm your and Mical's mentors in the Force, Bao-Dur and I have gotten closer, and Mira and I are good friends now." She stopped for a moment. "I think it's because I've been influencing you all without knowing it."

"Listen, Hal. Whatever you thought you saw in that cave, it's the past. It's gone now, okay?" He wiped away some tears that were streaming down her cheek. "Damn, for such a powerful Jedi you sure act like a gizka sometimes."

She elbowed him, laughing. "Oh, shut up."

"Anyway, it was all just in your head."

"But-"

"Hey!" He said, standing up. "That gives me an idea. Follow me."

He dashed out the door, leaving Zanna alone. "What?" She called after him.

He appeared in the doorway again, holding a deck of cards.

She stared at the deck in his hands. "What's with that?"

He smiled at her. "Let's play some pazaak."

 _"You have brushed the surface thoughts of another; it is a start." That was as close to a compliment that Kreia had ever given, and Zanna was pleased with herself. Moments earlier, her old-aged mentor had taught her how to infiltrate the minds of her companions. She started with Visas Marrs, whose thoughts were consumed about the destruction of her home world.  
"That's amazing," Zanna breathed. "I want to do it again. I want to see if I can hear my other friends' thoughts."  
Kreia scowled. "Friends... followers, slaves, it makes no difference." The old woman had never been keen on having any more passengers join them on board the Ebon Hawk- especially because of Atton. Zanna didn't quite understand why- he never did anything to deserve her extreme disapproval, and because of him, they were able to escape the world of Peragus while avoiding the Sith who pursued them.  
"For the last time, they are my fri-"  
"Calm yourself," Kreia stated, ignoring the young Jedi's protest. "And this time, silence your own thoughts, keep them still."  
Zanna exhaled deeply, and closed her eyes.  
"Imagine the waters of the Room of a Thousand Fountains," Kreia's cold and croaky voice commanded. "Each stream suddenly falling silent and still.  
"Imagine the ice of Telos, cold and smooth, as it gathers upon the plateau." The image was clear within the young woman's mind now, and felt like one with the Force. Also sensing the success of focusing her mind, Kreia continued: "Now stretch out, feel the ship around you. Strip away the metal, and see the souls and minds of those that fill its corridors, with more thoughts and dreams and worries than can fill the space of this ship."  
Feeling the Force flow through her, Zanna reached out with her mind to the sentients on board.  
'...as my feet walk from the ashes of Katarr, I shall not fear..." Visas' thoughts were still consumed by her planet. '...for in fear, lies death, and...'  
She stretched out further. '...how could the Jedi leave the Republic?' This time it was Mical's voice she heard, seemingly distraught. He had expressed verbally his confusion on the subject, but to hear the utmost concern in his thoughts was painful. "Was it because of the Civil War? Is it possible that they...'  
Zanna stretched further still, searching throughout the ship to hear the thoughts of her companions. '...this place is so quiet. Nothing like Nar Shaddaa...'I don't even know why the pfassk I'm here.' Mira's voice was present now, and she was musing about her homesickness. Zanna had previously talked to Mira- as she was restless since deciding to board the Ebon Hawk. She had been a bounty hunter on Nar Shaddaa for years, if not her lifetime, so sitting idle on a ship no doubt was effecting her. ''Hmmm..' her thoughts continued, 'Wonder how much the bounty on the Jedi is now...' Zanna smiled. Mira had initially found her attempting to collect the bounty for a live Jedi, and decided to help her out instead.  
Suddenly, thoughts came to Zanna's attention that seemed to be louder than the rest as she continued onto the cockpit. The thoughts belonged to Atton, and they were indeed confusing.  
"Focus on my voice, now." Kreia had suddenly spoken, breaking the connection to Atton's mind. "Now do you hear me? Truly hear me?" She inquired of her student.  
"Yes. This is amazing," Zanna breathed, still confused about Atton's thoughts. "Thank you, Kreia."  
The old woman simply nodded, then turned away to meditate once more._

"Atton, I don't think this is the time for pazaak."

He looked at her from the doorframe. "C'mon, Hal. Please trust me on this." He walked toward her, stretching out his hand.

She still sat on her bed from her conversation with Atton- against the outcome she predicted, he had no reaction of disgust or hatred for her actions. She hesitated, then took his hand, standing up. "Fine. How does this work?"

Still holding her hand, he dragged her to the kitchen, where there was a table to play on. "I'll show you. It's easy once you get the hang of it." They sat next to each other at the table, where Atton shuffled a pile of green cards. "These," he said, continuing to shuffle, "are the standard cards. At the start of your turn, you'll turn one of these face up on your side."

"Okay..." she said, somewhat perplexed. "What's the ultimate goal here?"

"You're trying to get your cards to add up to twenty, or as close as possible." He then took out another, but smaller, stack of cards that were red and green in color. "These are your side-deck cards," He explained. "You get five of these. The blue ones can alter your total by plus one or plus two, or three, and so on. The red ones, on the other hand, will decrease your total if you happen to get over twenty." He had finished placing all the cards on the table and looked at her. "You ready?"

She nodded hesitantly. "I guess."

She turned over her first green card: a ten. "Alright, you're already half way there." Atton grinned. He then turned over a green: a seven. They continued on until Zanna's total was eighteen, and Atton's was nineteen. "I'm going to stand," He proclaimed. "So, you can use one that's in your sidedeck, or try your luck for a green two card." He smirked. "Your choice."

Zanna grinned back at him. "You're pretty good at this game, huh?"

"I'd like to think of myself as a master." He said confidently. "Running around the galaxy gets kind of boring, so typically spent a lot of time in cantinas or pubs. I got a lot of credits from it."

"Well that's too bad." Zanna smiled. She took one of her sidedeck cards and smacked it on the table-it was a plus two, making her total twenty, and consequently beating Atton. She pointed right in his face. "Take _that_ , scruffy!"

He folded his arms, still smiling. "Alright, now what are you thinking about right now?

"How I just beat your gizka-ass and computed the totals to twenty, that's what!"

He nodded. "Let me tell you something, Zan." He leaned against the table, suddenly getting serious. "I've spent a lot of time around people or things that take control over your mind- and more often than not, they'll take whatever is on your mind and use it against you."

Zanna's smile faded, and her stomach dropped. "Atton, I-"

"Hold on, just let me finish, Hal. Trust me." He smiled at her. "So I play pazaak in my head. I do it all the time. Because if you don't you've left the door open. And anyone could walk right on in."

Zanna's conscience rang loud. She recalled back to her lesson with Kreia, where she had invaded Atton's thoughts as well. "Atton... I need to confess something to you."

He cocked his head, still intently looking at her. "Something up?"

She exhaled. "I... I- well, awhile back, Kreia taught me how to search people's minds." She looked down in guilt. "And I looked into yours. You were playing pazaak then, too."

Atton huffed, and sat back against the chair he was seated in, folding his arms.

She once again looked up at him. "Atton, I'm really sorry."

He scoffed. "Of course you did." He said, shaking his head. "You see, Jedi- light or dark, it doesn't make a damn difference- they do it. And way more than you think."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"

He shook his head. "But I never heard one say they were sorry before." She looked up at him, surprised by the lack of anger in his voice that was present a second earlier, and he was giving her a warm smile. "That's a new house rule," he added with a chuckle.

She smiled back. "Well, I mean it. And now I get it- you play pazaak to shield your thoughts."

He shrugged. "Nah, I just play it in my head. But while I'm doing that, it's a lot harder for someone to walk in."

"So, can you teach me to do that?"

"I can only teach you how to play pazaak." He leaned forward. "Understand, Jedi?"

"Then teach me pazaak." She finally understood him a little better.

"Good," he mused. "You do understand!" He took all the cards on the table and began to shuffle them once more. "All right," he added. "I'll deal then."

Zanna frowned. "There's one thing I don't get."

Atton, still shuffling cards, looked at her. "And what's that?"

"Why did you show me this?"

He stopped and put the cards down. "Zan, you were torn apart from Korriban. It was... it was painful to see you come out. You looked so shaken. And since you passed out, I had no idea what you had to deal with. I only guessed that it was something big. And when you told me that it was if some entity was reading your mind to bring back all those hellish memories, I knew I had to show you this. I had to. Seeing you like that..." He shivered. "It was rough. So the next time you were fighting someone- or something- that has the control over your mind, I wanted you to know to play pazaak. That way, when they try to get inside your head, suddenly it's not as easy as they thought."

Zanna was silent, listening. She realized she (and Kreia, as well,) had severely underestimated the scoundrel's intelligence.

Atton continued, his voice becoming more and more quiet. "Because you'll be sitting right next to me-" He reached out at put his hand atop hers. She looked at their hands, while he looked into her eyes. "-playing pazaak, where they can't reach you."

The moment was a quiet one, Zanna breathless. The moment had been way more intimate than she had thought any moment ever could be- for once, they understood each other entirely, no barriers of the Force or backgrounds separating them. She slowly looked at him, his scruffy face close to her own. Atton's fingers interlocked between hers, and he began to move closer toward her. _Jedi aren't supposed to have relationships... Jedi aren't supposed to do this... But... am I really a Jedi?_ Her mind was spinning, the desire outweighing the preachings she had once known while in the Order. _I'm still exiled... I no longer belong to the Order._ She realized quickly that she was no longer a part of any sort of side to the Force, so it wouldn't matter anymore. Their faces drew closer and closer, until-

"I hope I am not interrupting anything." A stern voice suddenly said.

Atton immediately drew his hand away from the exile's; and both of them jumped back. "Dammit," he breathed, almost inaudibly.

"What is it, Mical?" Zanna asked in an annoyed tone.

Atton, meanwhile, stood up. "I should get back to the cockpit." He looked down at Zanna. "If you need anything, don't hesitate." And with that, he swiftly walked away.

Mical and Atton stared at each other as he passed. "Oh, for the love of the Force..." she mumbled.

"I am certain I interrupted something." Mical finally said.

Zanna gawked at him. "Yeah, kind of."

He gestured to a seat across from her. "May I?"

"Sure."

He sat down, looking nervous. "I was worried about you. I had not known you had regained consciousness until just a moment ago, I apologize."

Zanna exhaled. "It's fine, Mical. No need to apologize."

"I wanted to make sure you were alright, and if you needed any healing." The Disciple had a gift for treating injury, and since he came aboard he often served as the designated medic on board.

"No thank you, I'm good."

He nodded. "That is good to hear."

She nodded. The pair became silent, an awkward aura filling the kitchen space. A few moments passed by when Bao-Dur's remote- a spherical robot that aided his master with repairs- floated into the kitchen.

" _Beeop Dwoooop_!" It whistled, spinning around, facing Zanna. " _Dee-Deep Bwoop?_ " It chirped.

She shook her head. "No, there's no extra screwdriver in here." She paused. "At least I don't think there is..." She added, uncertain.

" _Dwoooop..."_ The remote whistled sadly.

"I'm sorry!" Zanna said to the little ball. It floated away back to the garage.

Mical looked at Zanna, intrigued. "How did you understand it?" He inquired.

She shrugged. "I've picked up most languages throughout the Jedi training and the War. You pick it up."

"Well, it is most impressive." He added warmly.

"Thanks."

The awkward silence returned. Zanna considered reaching out into his mind to see what he was there for, but after what Atton told her, she decided against it.

"Well..." Mical finally said, standing up once again, "I am most glad you are doing well. If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to come and talk with me."

She smiled at him. "I won't. Thanks, Mical."

He bowed, and then retreated back the medical bay, where he had taken up living.

After he was gone, Zanna slouched in her seat at the table. _Pure pazaak..._ she thought to herself. _What in the name of the Force just happened..._

"BEE-DEET!"

Zanna jumped at the set of whistles. "T3, is that you?!" She cried, turning around.

The droid emerged from behind a stack of food supplies. "DWOOP DEE-DEET!"

"Of course you were hiding there this whole time." She muttered. He had gained the habit of eavesdropping on nearly everyone on board, and this time was no exception.

"BWOOP DOP BEE-BEEP!" He snickered

"I don't care what you saw or what you heard, if you tell anyone else about this, I will personally take you back to Nar Shaddaa and sell you to the first vendor I find!" Zanna said, threatening the droid.

He moved forward, making his way out of the kitchen. "DWOOOOP..." He whistled angrily.

Zanna smiled. "Yeah, that's what I thought."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: RESTLESS**

"You, uh, wanted to see me?" Zanna stepped through the doorway of her mentor's quarters cautiously.

Kreia was kneeling in the middle of the room, most likely meditating. She often did, as she couldn't physically see any longer. "Yes, I did." Her croaky voice filled the room. "We have much to discuss, hm?"

Zanna hesitated, not knowing if she should stay put or go closer to her mentor. "I guess so…"

Kreia finally stood and turned toward her padawan. As usual, her eyes were covered by the brown hooded cloak she always wore, her grey braids falling next to her face. "You are troubled. I can feel it. It is weighing you down."

"Yeah, you could say that…" Zanna mumbled. Having the old woman constantly looking into her thoughts was getting irritating. True, she had done the same things to her companions, but she did it once and vowed never to invade their heads again. Kreia, on the other hand, had seemingly never ceased to do so since they met on Peragus. Unfortunately for Zanna, somehow an intense bond created by the force linked them together, so now, whether she wanted it or not, Kreia would never cease to be with her.

"The tomb on Korriban has shaken you," the old woman mused. "Why?"

"You know damn well why," Zanna snapped, without any hesitation. "You sent me in there knowing exactly what would happen."

Kreia smirked. "Then you will know why I sent you in there in the first place."

Zanna stared at her angrily. "What are you talking about?"

"You had to examine your past. Through the past, we become stronger in the future."

"I'm tired of you being cryptic." Zanna walked toward her. "For once I want some answers."

"You want answers?!" Kreia cried. "Fine. The trials you experienced were necessary for what you must face now."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you forgotten why we came to this dead planet to begin with?! Or has this one moment of weakness clouded your perspective on the entirety of this quest you have begun?"

Zanna stared at her, open-mouthed, in confusion. "What…" Her mind stirred for a moment, then clarity came: "Master Vash." She stomped in anger. "Sith's blood…."

"She is the purpose we came here." Kreia turned back, getting down on her knees once again. "The trials in the tomb were merely to prepare you for what you will face."

"And what would that be?"

"The old Sith Academy. It is north-east of the shyrack caves. What you seek will be there."

"Fine," Zanna said, turning back around. "I'll head out in the morning."

"Hmm." Kreia muttered. "You will need the rest. Wise choice."

Zanna scowled. "Yeah, thanks."

The young Jedi stalked out of Kreia's quarters. As angry as she was at the woman, she did have a point- they came to Korriban to find Master Vash. She was one of the pieces of the puzzle to find out why Zanna was exiled from the Order. They had only succeeded in finding the master who had fled to Nar Shadaa- Master Zez-Kai Ell- but he had been mysteriously slain before she could ask him any questions. They had no luck on Dantooine either to find Master Vrook; the only thing the gang had found out was that he had gone into a highly dangerous area and could already be dead. They had one more planet to go to before they officially ran out of options…

She wound up into the main hold, where Atton was playing pazaak with T3-M4.

"How's our elderly passenger?" He mumbled, eyes focused on the game. "Still aging?"

Zanna huffed. "Cryptic as always." She sat down next to T3. "Who's winning?"

"DEE-DEE-BREEEP!" T3 whistled happily.

"Dammit!" Atton threw the sidedeck cards in his hand on the table. "It's only because you cheated!" Atton shouted, standing up. "I swear, next time, if you end up having all plus-minus one cards, I'll scrap ya, you rolling trash can!"

Zanna laughed. "So, you got schooled by a droid…"

T3 whistled in a mocking manner.

"No, I was beaten by a cheater!" Atton persisted.

T3 whistled happily, then started rolling away.

"Good luck with that!" Zanna shouted out to him. Seeing Atton's confusion, she added, "He's gonna go work on the hyperdrive."

"Ah," he replied. He smoothed out his ribbed jacket, calming himself, then sat back down. "So what'd that old witch want?"

"To tell me that I have more to do on this damn planet," She sighed. "In the old Academy."

"Hal, c'mon! You're not going back out there." He looked at her seriously. "Hasn't this place done enough to you?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, it has. But I came here for a reason, and I haven't accomplished what I came to do yet."

Mira appeared from the kitchen, holding a bag of dried fruit. "What'd I miss?"

"We have to go back to Korriban," Atton sighed in annoyance. "To the Sith Academy."

"That's dumb." Mira looked back from the scoundrel to the Jedi. "Why?"

"One of the Masters should be in there."

"Should be?" Mira asked, putting food in her mouth.

Zanna shook her head. "Call it a hunch."

"There are no such things as hunches for Jedi of your strength," said Mical emerging from the medical bay.

Zanna threw up her hands. "Why doesn't everyone just come in?"

"Surely, you know this." The Disciple continued.

"Zan, I'm sensing you're not telling us something." Atton glowered at her, trying to get her to say.

She groaned. "Why did I decide to train you both…" She mumbled. "I just had to let you both become Jedi, too-"

"So, spill it." Atton ordered.

"This should be good," Mira mused, sitting down.

"Fine! Fine." Zanna flailed her arms around to get everyone to stop talking. "Kreia told me."

"So she knows what is to come if you continue?" Mical asked, confused. "Then why does she not just tell you what you will undoubtedly face?"

"Yeah, that seems like a load of bantha poodoo." Atton grumbled. He then perked up. "But, if she 'knows' this for sure, then the Jedi you're looking for has to be in there, right?"

"I mean, she was cryptic, like she usually is, but she absolutely wants me to believe that Vash is in there." She sighed. "So, to answer your question, yes she should be in there."

"Then what have you to fear?" Mical asked. "You have no doubt faced worse things than what could possibly be in an old, abandoned academy, right?"

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Zanna started.

"What do you mean?" Atton inquired. "What's in there?"

"Can't be worse than whatever caused you to pass out for three days," Mira said, chewing on her snacks. The three looked at her. "What?!" She cried defensively. "It can't!"

Zanna shook her head. "She didn't say exactly what as in there. All I know is that the tomb was preparation for what's inside."

Atton groaned. "Are you kidding me?!"

"That is not comforting…" Mical mumbled.

"Oh damn!" Mira muttered, unconvinced of all the Jedi nonsense that was going on.

"Everyone just calm down!" Zanna shouted. "Guys, I appreciate the concern or whatever, but I can't afford to be freaked out about it." She stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed to rest up for the morning." She looked menacingly at the three. "If any of you were planning on accompanying me, I suggest you do the same. Goodnight."

She walked off, leaving the three others speechless.

"I shall heed her advice," Mical finally spoke. "I intend to aide her as well as I can in the morning. So, I bid you all good evening." He too walked off towards the medical bay.

Mira leaned in closer to Atton. "Why does he talk like that?" She whispered.

"Not entirely sure." He replied. "Although, when we first met him, he was locked in a library in some ruins. So, that could be part of it." He smirked.

"He weirds me out." She stared at the med bay, placing some more of the snacks in her mouth.

Atton reached into the bag quickly, snatching a handful of her fruit, before running away.

"HEY!" Mira shouted, pulling out one of her blaster rifles. "Next time you do that, a bolt goes through the back of your skull!"

 _"_ _You are to be commended for making it this far." Kreia stood in the middle of the cave, but she looked different somehow….  
"Wait, how did you get h-"  
"GET AWAY FROM HER, ZAN!"  
She turned around, seeing Atton running up behind her. "Atton?" She asked in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
"She's a dark Jedi." He looked malicious, the anger present in his voice. He too, looked different- he looked menacing, pale and cracked skin replacing his usual scruffy face.  
Kreia used the Force to push him backwards. "Get out of here, murderer," She hissed at him. "This is a private matter between Zanna and myself."  
He instantly sprung to his feet and ignited his lightsaber. "No way in hell."  
Zanna stood there, afraid, not knowing what to do. "Guys-"  
"You should know when to back out of a situation you cannot escape from." Kreia leapt with the aid of the Force towards him, igniting her own 'saber.  
"Wh-Why is your lightsaber red?!" Zanna cried.  
Paying no attention to her padawan, Kreia used the Force to put the young man into a state of paralysis. Putting her blade to his throat, she hissed, "I warned you, you pathetic-"  
"What in the name of the Force is going on here?" Bao-Dur had appeared from the opposite side of the cave, his remote following close behind.  
Kreia turned toward him. "I would advise you to stay out of this and leave now.."  
"What's going on here?!" Zanna cried helplessly.  
"You're threatening Atton with a lightsaber, and I'm just supposed to stay out of it?" Bao-Dur cried. "_ ** _Never_** _."  
Kreia's blade retracted. "The two of you would go up against _me _?" She laughed, Atton falling forward, free from the stasis field.  
With the blink of an eye, suddenly Visas, Mira, T3, and Mical were all in the cave, standing side-by-side.  
"She needs to be killed." They all said in unison. "She's manipulating you! And all of us, too!"  
Kreia laughed, turning to Zanna. "What have you to say, little Jedi?"  
"I… I don't know…"  
"You either leave this place with me, and me alone-" Kreia stated, "Or you team up and murder me. You have to choose."  
"What?!" Zanna's breathing became rapid.  
"She's been using you," Atton said quietly. "Think about it."  
She looked at the others, who were all nodding in agreement. 'Maybe I have been used…' She thought. 'They wouldn't all tell me to do something so heinous if they weren't sure.'  
Zanna looked at Kreia. "I'm sorry, Kreia, but your lies end here."  
"Am I not worthy of redemption?!" Kreia cried.  
Zanna didn't respond. She couldn't. Igniting her lightsabers, she breathed heavily, then with a swipe of her right hand, beheaded the old woman. Zanna gaped in despair, and tears began to flow.  
Kreia's body fell onto the sandy ground, while the head rolled towards her feet. It stopped, face up. The hood usually covering her eyes had come off, and Zanna was finally looking at her mentor's face fully for the first time- but the eyes had closed. She knelt on the ground, silently sobbing, staring at Kreia's head.  
Without warning, the eyelids flickered open, revealing entirely black eyes. Zanna staggered back, the voice of Kreia ringing throughout the cave: "_ ** _MURDERER_** _!"_

Zanna screamed, waking up in an instant. She sat bolt upright in her bed, bursting into uncontrollable sobs. "Why…" She muttered, bringing her head to her knees. She wept alone. The image of Kreia's head, the black eyes staring into her very soul, came into her mind every time she closed her eyes.

Impulsively, she stood up to go to the refresher, perhaps to splash some cold water onto her face, or just to get away from her room. She closed the refresher door behind her, and looked into the mirror- the image of a young woman with sickly pale skin and yellow eyes looked back at her. "What am I…" She whispered, tears flowing harder. Her head hurt, so she decided to undo her black hair that was put into its usual braid. She brushed it with her fingers, then turned on the sink to get some water running. Trying to control her breathing, she got some water in the palms of her hands and then splashed it onto her face. She dabbed her face with a nearby towel, then moved towards the opposite wall, and slowly slid onto the ground.

Suddenly, there were three quiet knocks on the door. Voice trembling, she yelled out, "Sorry I'll be out in a second."

The door opened anyway, and Atton looked down at the Jedi. "I heard you screaming," He said quietly.

She covered her face with her hands. "Did I wake you up?"

"Nah," He muttered. "I don't usually head to bed for another hour or so." He walked towards her, and kneeled down. "Zan, what happened?"

She wiped the tears from her face. "Nothing, I'm fine-" She tried to stand up, but her legs failed her, and she fell back onto the cold metal ground. "Dammit…" She whispered, tears starting to stream down her face again.

"Aw, Zan…" He muttered sadly, wiping away the hair sticking to her tear-strewn face. "Okay, come on, Hal." Atton stooped down and picked her up, almost cradling her.

"Thanks," She sniffed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He carried her in silence, her occasional sniffles being the only noise. She rested her head on his shoulder, still silently crying. "It's okay," He whispered to her. "I've got you. You're okay."

They soon returned to her quarters, and he stood above her bed, the Jedi still in his arms. They stood in silence, her pain spoke louder than anything.

"Well…" Atton whispered, unsure of what to do, "I hope you-"

"Stay with me?" She pleaded quietly.

He looked down at her. "What?"

She met his eyes, her eyes glazed with tears. "I don't want that to happen again…" She choked.

"Of course, Zan. I'll stay with you." He placed her down gently on the bed, then lied down next to her.

"Thanks." She was still so weak, but the crying had slowed a little bit. She nestled closer to him, placing her hand on his chest.

"Hey, if I ever pass up the opportunity to spend the night next to a beautiful woman, that's the sign I've lost it," He chuckled.

She looked up at him. "You think I'm beautiful?" She whispered.

He laughed. "Well, yeah! Any man with a working set of eyes would. Haven't you ever been told that?"

She shook her head. "Jedi aren't-"

"Oh yeah," He mumbled. "You guys aren't allowed to show feelings or any emotion other than to be wise, right?"

"Kind of, yeah." She rested her head just under his.

"Let me tell you, Zan," He said, putting his arm around her, "If you had grown up anywhere else besides the Jedi Academy, you'd have been hearing that your whole life."

She smiled. "Thanks."

He sat in silence, thinking. Zanna noticed. "What is it?" She asked.

"I just was curious as to what your life was like, is all." He muttered.

"Well," She sighed. "There's not much to it. I was taken to become a Jedi when I was a child. Don't remember much other than that. Then, when I was nineteen, the Jedi decided to serve absolutely no one by not helping the Republic during the Mandalorian Wars, so I went out to do something about it."

"You were only nineteen?!" Atton asked, amazed. "Damn."

"Yeah," She laughed. "The day I turned twenty is when I was made General." She stopped. "And then I think we both know what happened after that."

"Yeah…" He whispered. "Malachor, then the Civil War."

She looked up at him. "Did you serve in the War?"

He hesitated. "Served in both, actually." She sat up, surprising him. "What?"

"Both?" She was shocked. "What were you doing in the Jedi Civil war?"

Atton shook his head, sitting up as well. "It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"You're so stubborn," he said. He then looked at her in the eyes. "It- it's not something that, that I'm proud of. You probably won't want me here after I tell you, to be honest."

She smiled at him. "Atton, I told you about what happened in that cave- about my past- and your opinion of me didn't change. I promise you, I won't think any less of you."

"Okay," He muttered. Pointing a finger at her, he added, "Don't say I didn't warn you."

She sat cross-legged in front of him, waiting for his story.

"Well, you know about the woman who showed me the Force?"

She nodded. A few weeks ago, he had come to her with the desire to learn more about the Force, as he had been shown it by a woman in his past. She agreed, and Atton had taken the steps to become a Jedi, too.

He breathed deeply. "She showed me the Force- right before I killed her."

Zanna's eyes widened. "What?"

"I was recruited by Revan during the Wars to help remove all the Jedi."

"You.. you killed Jedi?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. A lot of them. But this woman was different."

Zanna cocked her head. "How so?"

"I had been assigned to murder her, and right before I did, she… she showed me the Force. I felt her forgiveness. There wasn't any hatred or anger, either…" He paused. She noticed the far-off gaze in his eyes, fixated on the image in his mind. "She just knew what I was doing and accepted it. I think I loved her."

Zanna felt her heart drop. "Oh…"

He quickly snapped back into reality. "Oh no, it wasn't that kind of love. I think it was the kind of love where you're just willing to give everything up for someone you don't even know." He looked at her. "You know what I mean?"

She nodded. "I do. That happens when you're a Jedi." She smiled at him. "If you thought that that would change my opinion of you, you're mistaken."

He smiled back at her. "Yeah?"

"I admire your honesty. Thank you, Atton."

"You're welcome." They sat in silence for a moment. He then slid down, tired of sitting up. She moved to the side so he could fully extend his legs. "I'm glad I got that off my chest."

"Have you ever told that to anyone before?" She asked quietly.

He shook his head. "Nope."

She lied down on her side, using her elbow as a prop while her hand supported her head. "Why not?" She breathed.

He turned to his side to face her. "You're special to me." He answered. "Ever since I met you, I knew it, too. I usually don't let anyone into my past, but you're different."

She smiled at him. "Why's that?"

He shook his head, lost for words. "I don't know. But remember what I said about that other kind of love?"

"Yeah?"

"It's kind of like that. I'd be willing to give up everything for you, Zanna Hal. I really would."

She looked at him in awe. Then quietly, she added, "I have that other kind of love for you, too."

The two stared at each other for a moment, then he abruptly cupped the side of her face, bringing their lips together.

Surprised, Zanna initially pulled her head back.

"Oh, Force, I'm so sorry!" Atton started. "I shouldn't have-"

He was interrupted by her pulling him in by his collar and kissing him. He brought his hand to the back of her neck, pulling her closer, further into his embrace. She brought her hands up to cup his face, and the two paused for a moment. She smiled at him as they both caught their breath.

He gave her a crooked smile. "I thought you weren't supposed to do this?" He smirked.

She shrugged, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm not technically a Jedi, am I?" She snickered at him.

He ran his fingers through her hair. "I've never seen you with your hair down," he said quietly. "I like it."

She nestled her head under his chin, shifting her hand so it was on his chest. "Thanks."

His fingers interlocked with hers. "You know, I've been wanting to do that since Peragus," He said.

She laughed. "I had a feeling."

He hugged her tightly, and kissed her on the top of her head. "You should get some rest- you're gonna need it for the morning."

"Will you come with me?" She asked quietly.

He squeezed her tighter. "You don't even need to ask, Zan. I'll be right by your side the whole time."

She turned so that she was half on top of him, and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Atton. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Zanna."

And then, the two fell deeply asleep, still wrapped in one another's arms.


End file.
